The Wilmingtonian., 1887-02-12
Not Guilty.

The Jury empanelled to try Robert Elliott
for the murder of P. II. Coyle, upon retiring
for consultation made quick work of the
matter by promptly and properly rendering
a verdict of mot Guilty" TO those watch
ing this case from the commencement of the
trial the holding of Elliott as the murderer
OF Coyle was an outrage upon the liberties
of citizen.
The State did not produce one scintilla OF
evidence to connect Elliott with the crime for
which It arraigned him. A brief resume o.
the case as presented by the prosecuting
officers Of the State is simply this Between
10 and II o'clock Of the night preceding the
morning when the body Of Coyle was found
Mt the foot OF Orange street, it was showh
that Elliott, Coyle, and McDonough were
at Legg's Atlantic Garden. The State there
left those three men. 1t did not produce
one witness to show that Elliot saw anything
OF Coyle from that hour until some ten days
later. 1t did not show any motive OF any
reason whatsoever why Elliott should have
been the slayer OF Coyle. The case of the
State was almost wholly suppostitious and
can be thus summed up: Elliott was With
Coyle during the evening, the following
morning Coyle was dead priortC Coyle must
have been murdered and Elliott must have
been the murderer. Post hoe propter hoe is
not always safe line of reasoning to follow
IN o ,pital cases and We voice the sentiment
of this community In stating that life is too
sacred to be put into jeopardy upon imagin-
ary and suppositi ,ns theories.
As Robert Elliott was arraigned for his life
IT was his good fortune to be tried before hu-
name Judges and an Intelligent and honest
jury, but suppose the judges had been aus
tere and severely exacting and the jury had
been TOO ignorant to.unravsl the sophistical
network woven around the head of the ac-
sused by the State, it would have LACED
him In most unenviable position as he pro-
badly would have been convicted and SEN
tenced to death.
After hearing the result of the post NOR
tenn examination as testified from the wit
ness stand it is debatable question if there
was any connection whatsoever between the
abrasion found upon Elotts scalp and his
death. The post mortem examination as
detailed from the witness box declared that
the tboracic and abdominal viscera indicated
advanced alcoholism and medical mind
would naturally revolt at the declaration
that rupture of che blood vessels of the
brain could only be the result of violence In
the face of the statement that the heart liv-
sr, kidneys and bladder were markedly dis
eased-to say nothing of the effect that .
characterization of alcohol would have upOr
the brain tissues.
We do not hesitate to state that the ables
phy sioian CT this ci'y would have hesitatec
to declare that there was any connection
however remote, between the scalp woune
found upon Coyle and his death, after hear
ing the result Of the autopsy, even admit
ting that the injury upon the head was I
predisposing cause of death. Elliott was il
no way connected, as far as the evidence wa
produced with the intiiction OF said inJur
and therefore he stapds before this conmun
/ not only as an unstained but as deep
wronged man.
The possibility of Elliott having bee
brought face to face with death, for crime q
which he as in no way shown to have bee
connected is an irresistible argument in fave
Of the abrogation Of capital punishment